Things to Do in Amsterdam: 15 Years of Local Secrets

I've lived in Amsterdam for over a decade, and I've watched countless visitors fall into the same traps.

They line for hours at overcrowded attractions, take those awful glass boat canal cruises, and think they've experienced the real city.

As someone who explores with City Unscripted guests regularly, I see this disconnect way too often.

I'm Maartje van Dijk and I want to show you the Amsterdam that locals love.

The one where you can still find quiet courtyards in the Jordaan, where the best museums have strategies that skip the worst crowds, and where a perfect afternoon involves a free ferry ride and a brown café that's been serving the same families for generations.

I won't go on about hidden gems that aren't truly secret or pretend tourists ruin everything.

Instead, I want to show you that doing the classic things smartly and discovering the rhythms that make this city feel like home is how you'll have a memorable visit.

Why Trust a Local for the Best Things to Do in Amsterdam?

Because I've made every mistake you're about to make. I've stood in those ridiculous Anne Frank House lines before learning the booking system.

I've taken the wrong canal cruise and paid twice as much for half the charm. I've eaten terrible cheese in tourist shops when the real stuff was three streets over.

When you're hosting visitors every week like I do, you quickly learn what actually works. Which museums reward the effort, which neighborhoods feel authentic without being performative, and how to time your day so you're eating stroopwafels when they're still warm and drinking beer when the locals are just settling in.

The best things to do in Amsterdam aren't necessarily secret. They're just done differently when you know how.

When Is a Canal Cruise Actually Worth It?

I used to roll my eyes at canal cruises. Then my sister visited, dragged me onto one, and I had to eat my words.

There's something about seeing Amsterdam from the water that makes you understand why people built a city in this impossible place.

I recommend that you skip the big glass-topped tour boats if you can, the open boats let you actually experience those narrow canals instead of just looking at them through a window.

A canal cruise remains one of the best things to do in Amsterdam for first-time visitors trying to wrap their heads around how this city actually works.

Weather note: Evening cruises work beautifully in rain; you'll see lit windows and cozy interiors instead of facades. Winter cruises offer hot chocolate and fewer crowds.

Order small beers (250 mL glasses, about 8.5 oz.) because that's how conversations happen here. You're not trying to get drunk quickly; you're settling in for the long game. Good brown cafés have newspapers, board games, and regulars who've been holding down the same corner table for decades.

Café Chris in the Jordaan has been family-run since 1624. Café de Reiger serves better bar snacks than most restaurants. In de Wildeman specializes in Dutch beers you can't find anywhere else.

The ritual matters as much as the beer. Locals arrive after 8 PM and stay until conversation runs out, nursing small glasses and making each beer last an hour.

These spots show you Amsterdam's soul better than any monument.

Red Light District: More Selfie Sticks Than Expected

Look, I get the curiosity about the Red Light District. The history is genuinely fascinating. This area has been dealing with sex work for centuries, and there's something honest about making it visible instead of pretending it doesn't exist.

But here's what actually happens when you stop by: you'll mostly be shuffling through crowds of drunk tourists taking photos and dodging overpriced bars that serve watered-down drinks.

The area draws crowds for photos, but the reality involves navigating drunk tourists and overpriced bars.

1. Keep: Visit during daytime hours (10 AM to 4 PM) when you can actually appreciate the historic architecture and beautiful old buildings.
2. Tweak: Stop by Red Light Secrets museum for educational context about the neighborhood's history and current regulations.
3. Alternative: Take an evening canal walk along Herengracht around 9 PM for magical lighting and atmosphere without the chaos.

Tourist Coffee Shops: Highway Robbery with a Side of Regret

The coffee shops clustered around Centraal Station are basically designed to separate tourists from their money as efficiently as possible. Terrible quality, inflated prices, and an atmosphere that screams "we don't give a damn about you."

The shops clustered around Centraal Station target tourists with inflated prices and poor quality.

1. Keep: Stick to neighborhood coffee shops in areas like the Jordaan where locals actually go for their daily coffee.
2. Tweak: For cannabis coffee shops, choose smaller places away from the station that focus on quality over volume.
3. Alternative: Skip tourist cheese shops entirely and visit Fromagerie Abraham Kef for proper tastings, or sample at quality market stalls at Albert Cuyp or Noordermarkt.

I recommend you explore hidden gems in Amsterdam for alternatives if these spots don't do it for you.

Vondelpark on Sunny Weekends: Chaos Masquerading as Nature

Don't get me wrong, Vondelpark is truly stunning. But you'll regret not going during the week.

Weekend afternoons turn Amsterdam's most famous park into an overcrowded outdoor mall.

1. Keep: Visit early morning before 9 AM or after 7 PM when locals reclaim the space and it feels peaceful again.
2. Tweak: Choose weekday afternoons when families are in school and office workers are still at their desks.
3. Alternative: Head to Westerpark for cultural venues and more space, or Rembrandtpark for better picnic spots without tourist density.

Quiet Jordaan Courtyards: My Secret Escapes

When city life gets overwhelming, which happens more often than I'd like to admit, I disappear into the Jordaan courtyards. Karthuizerhof is open daily from 10 AM to 8 PM, and stepping through that entrance feels like traveling back in time. Same with Hofje van Brienen, though they close earlier on weekends.

These aren't Instagram spots; they're actual functional spaces where people have lived for centuries. I've spent countless afternoons reading in these courtyards, especially during those long Dutch winters when you need to remember that beauty still exists.

Markets Where Locals Shop

Ten Katemarkt runs Monday through Saturday, and it's where I do most of my grocery shopping. No tourist prices, no fake "authentic Amsterdam experience."

What you will see is Turkish and Moroccan vendors selling incredible produce alongside regulars who've been shopping here for decades.

Van der Pekmarkt in Noord feels like a village market that somehow survived being swallowed by the city. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings, 9 AM to 6 PM. I love the chaos of it.

Kids running around while parents argue over vegetable prices, elderly residents catching up on gossip. It's messy and real and everything I love about this city.

Free Ferry to NDSM: My Favorite Commute

Amsterdam's free ferries are hands down one of the best ways to see the city from the water. The F4 ferry to NDSM takes about 14 minutes, and I've taken it hundreds of times without getting bored of the view. The F7 is quicker (just 7 minutes), but I prefer the longer route when I'm not in a hurry.

These ferries run on the same public transport system as everything else, so if you've got a day to while away, you're golden. Did I mention they are free? I use them as a moving meditation when the city stress gets to me.

Jordaan: Beyond the Postcard Bull

Everyone talks about the Jordaan like it's some preserved theme park, but the reality is messier and more interesting. Yeah, there are art galleries and cafés, but there are also normal people living normal lives between the tourist attractions.

Noordermarkt on Saturday mornings is where you'll find me buying organic vegetables and listening to street musicians who actually live in the neighborhood. The market has this energy that reminds me why I fell in love with Amsterdam in the first place.

Oost and Noord: The Future of Amsterdam

Oost is where young families move when they can't afford the Jordaan anymore, and it's created this incredible creative energy.

Noord used to be industrial wasteland, but now it's where artists and designers are building the future of the city.

Café 't Sluisje has been serving Dutch food since 1904 in a building dating back to 1565, and somehow it's survived every wave of change Amsterdam has thrown at it. When I want to connect with the city's deep history while sitting in its most forward-thinking neighborhood, that's where I go.

Nieuw-West: Real Amsterdam Families

Nieuw-West is where Amsterdam's working families actually live, in neighborhoods that don't make tourist guides but represent the majority of local life. Rembrandtpark provides better outdoor space than central parks.

This is Amsterdam without the performance, where grocery shopping and school pickups happen in multiple languages but feel completely normal.

Head down Herengracht when the sun has begun to set and locals are having drinks on their terraces. It's one of my favorite things to do, but unfortunately I don't get to go as often as I'd like to, so I recommend it to everyone I know.

Free evening entertainment that works year-round; even in winter, the lit windows and cozy indoor scenes create pure Amsterdam atmosphere.

Amsterdam's neighborhoods reward curiosity over guidebook compliance. Each tells a different part of the city's ongoing story.

Indonesian Rijsttafel

Restaurant Blauw serves an accessible rijsttafel that introduces Dutch-Indonesian fusion without overwhelming newcomers. Their modern take on traditional dishes reflects the complicated history between the Netherlands and Indonesia, but more importantly, it tastes incredible.

This elaborate spread of small dishes represents Amsterdam's most successful culinary import – spice levels accommodate Dutch palates, but the flavors stay complex and authentic.

Expect €35-45 per person for a full rijsttafel, but the variety and quality justify the price for this quintessential Amsterdam experience.

Museums That Actually Surprise You

Cycling Beyond the Tourist Routes

Amsterdam's bike infrastructure extends way beyond Vondelpark, and some of my favorite memories involve cycling routes that most visitors never discover.

The path along the Amstel River takes you through countryside that feels like a different century, and it's only 30 minutes from Dam Square.

Rent from neighborhood bike shops instead of the tourist companies near the station: better prices, better bikes, and they won't try to sell you a helmet like you're planning to ride through a war zone.

The route to Ouderkerk aan de Amstel follows the river through working farms and traditional windmills. There's a café at the end with river terraces that's perfect for the return journey, assuming you haven't gotten too distracted by how green and peaceful everything is.

Underground Culture: Where Amsterdam Gets Weird

The underground scene exists in spaces that change constantly, which is part of the appeal. OT301 is housed in a former film academy building, and the experimental performances and art installations there remind you that Amsterdam is still a place where creative people can take risks.

RADION in Nieuw-West sits in the former Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam building where electronic music and digital art collide in ways that shouldn't work but absolutely do. Most shows start after 10 pm, which is perfect if you've spent the day doing tourist things and want to remember what Amsterdam feels like after dark.

Discover more in our off-the-beaten-path Amsterdam guide.

Contemporary Art Beyond the Obvious

The gallery scene around Spiegelstraat near the Rijksmuseum showcases what Dutch and international artists are doing right now. Jaski Gallery regularly stages exhibitions and takes part in major art fairs.

Annet Gelink Gallery in the Jordaan focuses on international contemporary art in a converted warehouse space. Their video installations and conceptual work can be challenging, but it's the kind of challenging that stays with you.

Music Venues That Give a Damn

Bourbon Street near Leidseplein is a proudly soulful place where you can enjoy jazz and blues, and even great drinks in an atmosphere that is so cozy it's almost from another world. They've been operating since 1990, and many musicians who played there went on to amazing success, but they still book based on talent rather than fame.

Jazz Café Alto is where serious musicians and knowledgeable audiences create the kind of musical conversations that bigger venues can't accommodate. It's intimate in the best possible way. You feel like part of the performance rather than just observing it.

If you're keen for more (I hope you are!), explore more in our cultural things to do in Amsterdam guide.

Practical Stuff That Actually Helps

Bike rentals from neighborhood shops cost way less than tourist company rates and come with bikes that won't fall apart after three blocks. Public transportation uses OVpay contactless payment, which eliminates the need for separate transit cards.

Book popular museums ahead of time, especially the Anne Frank House, or you'll be disappointed. The city is compact enough that walking works for most central attractions, but cycling opens up Amsterdam neighborhoods that public transport doesn't serve efficiently.

My Honest Take After Fifteen Years

The best things to do in Amsterdam reward curiosity over guidebook compliance. Yes, the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank House have earned their reputations through genuine quality, not marketing budgets.

But spend equal time in neighborhoods like De Pijp and Noord, where Amsterdam shows its working personality instead of its museum face.

Amsterdam's greatest strength isn't any single attraction but how seamlessly historic beauty integrates with contemporary life. This isn't a preserved theme park. It's a living city where people bike past 400-year-old buildings on their way to work, where traditional brown cafés exist alongside craft cocktail bars without anyone finding it weird.

The best experiences in Amsterdam that matter most aren't always Instagram-ready. This is something our City Unscripted hosts understand very well.

Sometimes amazing things happen in quiet Jordaan courtyards on a peaceful day or during random conversations with locals who genuinely want to share their city's stories.

Smart travelers discover that the most meaningful moments come from embracing Amsterdam's authentic character rather than chasing perfect photos. They know to enjoy the art and history of this great place as they stumble onto it.

Come with realistic expectations. Amsterdam is expensive, crowded, and often wet. (I like to think the public transportation system makes up for this!)

But it's also genuinely beautiful and culturally rich when you know where to look and what to skip. After fifteen years, I still discover new corners and fall in love with this impossible city all over again.